MWDI would like to identify the total number of
functional wood duck boxes in Maryland and your assistance is
requested. Many of you have been kind enough to keep me informed of
your program results from time to time and Iíd now like to capture
that data in a more organized manner for the reasons cited below.

A recent review of USF&Wís estimates for Marylandís
wood duck population, breeding pairs and harvest indicates a decline
in each of these areas of roughly 50% over the past decade. The
statistics have inherent limitations, especially in any one year,
but trend estimates are generally considered more reliable,
especially for harvest estimates which are primarily based on band
recoveries as opposed to random plot surveys. As a result, MWDI
wants to expand its empirical data set to help evaluate the validity
of these negative trends and to improve perceptions of Marylandís
overall wood duck status.

Based on MWDI public box results and a general
knowledge of several private programs totaling some 3,000 boxes,
artificial nest programs may account for more than 30% of
Marylandís estimated breeding pairs in 2011. There are estimated
to be more than 3,000 additional functional nest boxes in
Maryland. Thus, this percentage could be substantially higher.
Even if USF&Wís estimate might be substantially understated,
this situation does suggest that artificial nest programs could
be abnormally meaningful to Marylandís wood duck population.

Based on USF&W harvest projections, it is
plausible that Marylandís artificial nest programs may produce
100% of Marylandís annual harvest after considering survival
aspects. If true, Maryland might be unique in that regard.

A significantly expanded empirical data set
should have other useful aspects that may help understand wood
duck ecology over time even if correlation of these use and
productivity measures cannot be readily utilized in USF&Wís
current resource management methodologies. However, long term
data collection and a consistent monitoring approach should
increasingly have some relevance as current methods have serious
limits especially when trying to evaluate populations on
regional levels below ďtotal flywayĒ scenarios.

A 1997 initiative by USF&W concluded that nest
box data were not suitable as a tool for resource management for
several reasons although further data collection and review was
recommended.

For brevity, I have not included all the trend data,
charts and referenced caveats. referred to but will generate them
and post on the website before long.

MWDI requests, on a confidential basis, the
following:

The number of functional boxes you manage and
county location.

Box use and results (i.e. the number successful)

Hatch estimates for successful nests plus any
history if you maintain it.

General habitat type- flooded wetlands, ponds,
rivers, streams, etc.

Any other qualitative data you may wish to
share.

If you do not collect nest results but do maintain
the boxes, this information is still quite useful as we can segment
boxes into various categories for estimation purposes. Our goal is
primarily to identify the Maryland nest box functioning population
and not worry about monitoring and reporting nuances of the program
sponsors.